Since 1993 Nelson Artist Rose Shepard has undertaken a diverse art practice including set designer for the NZ Wearable Art Awards (now known as the World of Wearable Arts Ltd), designer for the Tasman District Millennium Project, Greet the Dawn, a full-time student at NMIT, a committed art educator, and run a gallery space, Provenance Art Gallery. Deciding to study for her MFA, Shepard graduated from Whitecliffe College of Art and Design in 2013.

Shepard’s interest in the perceived history of historically significant women of Australasia has lead to varied lines of enquiry. For her thesis Shepard researched the stories associated with Eliza Fraser, known for her survival on, what was later named Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia. Shepard is a descendant of Eliza through her mother, Barbara Muir Fraser. This work was exhibited at Hervey Bay Regional Gallery, Queensland, Australia, from November 2014 to February 2015, exhibition title: Telling Tales. Shepard’s more recent work looks into the narrative of Perrine Moncrieff and her environment action work culminating in the creation of the Abel Tasman National Park.